[Starling]

I have loved my squash plants this year even though they have not been very successful, my BNS either rotted off or got eaten. 


I am going to try "Hasta la Pasta" what else would you all recommend?  Suggestions for both summer and winter varieties welcome

[mumofstig]

I've mentioned them everywhere I can so must do so here, given the invitation.

My favourite is Thelma Sanders

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/wintersquash.html

lovely pale gold when ripe and so pretty to look at most importantly it tastes good too. I've had 5/6 off each plant even in this dodgy summer and my soil is poor and sandy.

[PennyS]

I love Crown Prince so I've been growing them this year.  So far so good, got a fair few and they are looking fantastic.  I'm not sure when I actually should take them off the plants though

[mumofstig]

You are supposed to get better flavour if you allow them to harden/ripen on the plant.
When they have changed colour and the skins have gone really hard they are ripe, but at any rate cut them, with a bit of stem, if a frost is possible and ripen on the window ledge if you have to.

[compostqueen]

Crown Prince fan here too, it's a good one for cubing in stew or curry and it holds its shape.  Thelma Sanders has skin like fine quality cream leather and it is thickly ribbed. Looks beautiful and prolific so a good one to grow. I like the Festival squashes and they're good in rice dishes.  I grow Cushaws for pie production and am growing some marmalade squashes this year.  I like Uchiki Kuri too, Small Sugar, Sweet Mama, Jaspee de Vendee

I could go on   

[paintedlady]

I'm a squash fan too and love them all    Last year I grew Sweet Dumpling which are unusually sweet.  This year I also grew Thelma Sanders for the first time and agree they are pretty and  prolific, as are Little Gem.  I've also grown Uchiki Kuri, Small Sugar, Pink Banana and Gold Nugget this year but yet to try them.

Summer squashes - I like the Patty Pans and Crookneck but they are not everyone's cup of tea and more like a courgette than the beefy winter squashes.  And of course there are the marrows

[Pompey Spud]

Turks Turban for me. Curries well.

Have grown Invincible this year with good results. (crown prince type).

Southern Crookneck gives a more nuttier taste to Courgettes if you fancy someting different. They look a bit different as well.

[veggieman]

As I mentioned, on another thread, Vegetable Spaghetti, is a brilliant one to grow.

Yummy.

[Snoop]

I grew Hunter butternuts and Potimarron this year. Looking to expand the squash patch next year with some other varieties.

Has anyone grown Galeux d'Eysines? They look beautiful (if you like warty things!).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FRENCH-HEIRLOOM-SQUASH-GALEUX-DEYSINES-8-SEEDS-/390233095259?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item5adbb47c5b

[kermit]

As I mentioned, on another thread, Vegetable Spaghetti, is a brilliant one to grow.

Yummy.

Veggieman - do you grow squash in Shetland?!  Reason I ask is this is my 2nd year trying and the plants just dont grow.  I sometimes get some male flowers in late august / early september but zero fruit.  I assumed it was due to Scottish summers??

Sorry for hijacking thread...

[shokkyy]

This sudden flurry of posts on the subject of squashes has inspired me to grow some next year. I was wondering what to do with my blackleg infested spud plot, and I guess this is the answer. I've never grown squashes before, so can anyone tell me of any problems with them? What pests attack them? How tough are the plants, and how vulnerable are they to weather?

What might be nice is to do 1 or 2 plants each of a few varieties, so I can try them. I fancy a go with spaghetti squash, maybe hasta la pasta, and maybe delicata because I've seen good reviews re their taste. I want to avoid very big fruit because there's only two of us to feed and they don't look like something that would freeze well once cut open. Any variety suggestions for tough, productive plants with fruit that aren't too big?

[compostqueen]

I think the space you have available determines what varieties and how many plants as they are rather rampant in their habits 

No 1 on my list is always Crown Prince and if I only grew one that would be it
Second would come the winter festivals/harlequins for their compact but beautiful fruits, which go well in rice dishes

I love Sweet Mama, again a small squash which goes rather mushy (tastes a bit like sweet potato) and is good mashed or for thickening your casserole

The Delicata is bland and does need help but is quite pretty but it's not so robust nor will it keep very well I seem to recall

The Crown Prince has a tough, plastic-like skin and will keep well. Fab to cook with

[mumofstig]

shokky, it still has to be Thelma Sanders. She trails but isn't a thug, and you can cut them in half and have half each........no problem. The tough skin gives good winter storage

[PennyS]

You are supposed to get better flavour if you allow them to harden/ripen on the plant.
When they have changed colour and the skins have gone really hard they are ripe, but at any rate cut them, with a bit of stem, if a frost is possible and ripen on the window ledge if you have to.

Thanks MOS.  I'e got them all propped up off the soil, and they do look like the skins are hard, but I'll leave them as long as I can.  Must look up when first frosts are likely here!

[Swing Swang]

Gem Squash (Rolet) - Prolific and as they're the size of a small grapefruit are 'individual'. Can be eaten at any stage - unripe as small globe courgettes to hypermature when they become quite flourey. Keep fairly well too.